SHINSA

This is our Shinsa Matcha Bowl,

This bright red-orange Matcha Bowl was made in Sado, an Island near the coast of Niigata Prefecture.

This Island is the second largest Island in Japan and was also a place where Japanese people where send to exhile in the 13th century.

the shape of the Matcha bowl is called “Han Tsutsu-Gata” which indictaes the half cilinder shape of the bowl.

The bowl displays a design of Bamboo plants, and the autograph of the master of The Matcha Bowl.

The previous owner of the bowl estimated the Matcha Bowl to be over 50 years old.

The intriguing color comes from a mineral in the Vermillion mud which is to make the Matcha Bowl. This component is called Shinsa, which translates to Cinnabar in English.

Cinnabar is rich in mercury sulfide which gives this bowl it’s unique bright red-orange tone.

Vermillion mud is also famous in The Chinese culture. The Vermillion mud has been used broadly in The japanese culture and the birght red also know as ‘Chinese red” turned into one of their cultural caracteristics. "Chinese vermilion" was described as a cinnabar so pure that it only had to be ground into powder to become a perfect vermilion.

In 1835, "Chinese vermilion" was described as a cinnabar so pure that it only had to be ground into powder to become a perfect vermilion. Historically, European vermilion often included adulterants including brick, orpiment, iron oxide, Persian red, idonine scarlet and miniem (red lead) an inexpensive and bright, but fugitive lead-oxide pigment.

Since ancient times, vermilion was regarded as the color of blood, thus the color of life. It was used to paint temples and the carriages of the emperor, and as the printing paste for personal seals. It was also used for unique red calligraphic ink reserved for emperors.

Chinese Taoists (Chinese philosophyist) associated vermilion with eternity.

We named this Matcha Bowl “Shinsa” because of the unique red-range color which comes from the mineral cinnabar which translates to “Shinsa” in Japanese.